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With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and cannibals — might come as music to the ears of diehard fans of

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and cannibals — might come as music to the ears of diehard fans of films like Spring Breakers and Gummo (a kid doesn’t quite eat spaghetti in a bathtub, but a kid does eat spaghetti after being in a bathtub). However, beneath its dazzlingly hip surface the script and characters leave much to be desired. It’s like taking a trip to Burning Man: a pseudo-spiritual, uniquely punky experience perhaps, but one that’s full of annoying rich kids and ultimately emotionally shallow. – Rory O. (full review)

Though it may not feel fully inspired so much as competently pre-visualized, Kong: Skull Island fits snugly into the growing canon of reboots that exist within ever-expanding movie universes. That’s a first sentence to a positive review that perhaps reads a bit more cynically than intended. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and written by a bunch of dudes (Dan Gilroy and Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly with a story credited to John Gatins), this umpteenth version of the King Kong story pulls from every available pop-culture source in building a fun creature feature. Much of the credit goes to the breathtaking effects and brisk pace, which distract from some lofty line readings and silly plot devices. – Dan M. (full review)

One of the greatest prison escape dramas of all-time, Jacques Becker’s recently-restored Le Trou is a masterclass in tension. By putting us both in the physical and psychological headspace of our protagonists, it’s an enveloping experience as we see a number of close calls, leading up to one of the most unforgettable endings in cinema. – Jordan r.

It’s time for another Disney Princess movie, and you know how it goes. Disney knows too, and wants you to know that it knows. When the title character of Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) denies that she’s a princess, claiming that she’s merely the daughter of her island’s chief and the next chieftain, her adventuring partner Maui (Dwayne Johnson) asserts, “Same difference,” and that, “You wear a dress and have an animal sidekick. You’re a princess.” But Disney is doing its best to make the culture rethink cinematic fantasy princesses, countering the stereotypes of helpless femininity (which the studio largely put in place) with a new roster of highly capable action heroines. And Moana is, as they call it, a good role model. And the movie around her is fine. – Dan S. (full review)

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press uses a salacious story and website as the launching pad to discuss where we currently are, so much so that I imagine director Brian Knappenberger — who uses footage from President Trump’s infamous press conference only a few days before the film’s Sundance premiere — may wish to stay on the story. Gawker, a site spun out of Gizmodo, was founded to share the types of stories mainstream news outlets would often shy away from, including celebrity sex tapes, outings, drug use, and allegations that have swirled but not picked up traction. They’ve featured Rob Ford smoking crack, Bill Cosby’s multiple accusers, Hillary Clinton’s emails, Tom Cruise’s prominent role in Scientology, and the one that brought them down: the infamous Hulk Hogan sex tape recorded for private use by Hogan pal and infamous Tampa shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, best known nationally for his stint on Howard Stern’s satellite channel. Bubba’s antics will no doubt some day be the subject of a documentary of their own, from his role in both the Hogan affair to his odd appearance in the David Petraeus saga. – John F. (full review)

Jim Jarmusch proved he was back in a major way with Only Lovers Left Alive a few years ago, and the streak continues with Paterson, a calm, introspective drama with such positive views on marriage and creativity that I was left floored. In following the cyclical life of Adam Driver‘s Paterson, a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey, who also has dreams of being a poet, Jarmusch superbly shows that one’s own life experience — however seemingly insubstantial — is the only requirement to produce something beautiful. Moreso than any other film in 2016, this is the kind of world I want to live in. – Jordan R.

After the pleasant fluff of its kick-off installment and the frog march of unpleasantness that was Into Darkness, the rebooted Star Trek film series finally hits a fun median between big-budget bombast and classic Trek bigheartedness with Star Trek Beyond. Does the franchise’s full descent into action, with only the barest lip service paid to big ideas, cause Gene Roddenberry’s ashes to spin in their space capsule? Probably, but in the barren desert of summer 2016 blockbusters, this is a lovely oasis. – Dan S. (full review)

Perhaps a point of contention on New York Times’ top 25 films of the 21st century list, Olivier Assayas’ Summer Hours is a commendable top 10 pick. Led by Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jérémie Renier, and Kyle Eastwood, this drama follows a family reuniting following the death of their mother. Like the best of Assayas’ films, it’s an impeccably-crafted, subtly-moving experience, one that wades in the ideas of the value of what we hold on to and a graceful reflection on the passage of time. – Jordan R.

The world of Daniel Clowes is one without manners, glamour, and tact, but it is also one of uncomfortable truth, as scathing as it might be. One may have never verbally conveyed the discourteous musings of his characters to the extent to which it is their everyday vernacular, but we’ve all had similar thoughts when life isn’t going our way. The latest adaptation of his work comes with Wilson, directed by Craig Johnson (The Skeleton Twins), featuring a role Woody Harrelson is clearly having the time of his life with. Despite his commitment to a lack of civility, there’s a darker film lying in the cynical heart of Wilson, one that gets squandered by its mawkish aesthetic and lack of interest in exploring these characters beyond their crudeness. – Jordan R. (full review)

The Zookeeper’s Wife begins with those five famous words that hold the power to either become a film’s dependency (and therefore downfall) or its empowering catalyst, laying the foundation to convey a poignant tale: “Based on a true story.” Fortunately, The Zookeeper’s Wife sticks with the latter, and the true tale being told is one for the ages. Niki Caro‘s drama follows a couple who hide Jews in their zoo and use it as a point of passage and escape during the Nazi takeover of Warsaw. The narrative is a simple one, allowing The Zookeeper’s Wife to shine in its performances, imagery, and storytelling, which it pristinely accomplishes. – Chelsey G. (full review)

May kicked off the summer movie season, but June brings some studio tentpoles actually worth seeing (yes, we didn’t like that one everyone else did last month). Along with popcorn entertainment, there’s some of the finest independent films of the year, ranging from a long-delayed final feature from a late master to Sundance favorites and more. We should also note that, despite getting a release last year, IFC seems to be putting the Palme d’Or-winning I, Daniel Blake back in theaters this week, and we recommend seeking it out if you missed it.

As we said in our review, “Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs,

It’s easy to understand the Hollywood logic behind developing sequels: If it does well, keep it going — and going, and going, with spin-offs flying in every direction long after the concept has been spread thin. But some projects are so antithetical to this approach that the very idea of the franchise approach registers as a vulgarity. So it goes with the ongoing attempts to turn Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” into something more than a single movie.

First, it was going to be a sequel; now, it’s a “digital series,” again without the participation of the creative team behind the original. This needs to stop.

Three years ago, it was reported that Muse Prods., the company run by Chris and Roberta Hanley, was shopping around a followup to the 2012 project without the involvement of Korine or anyone else associated with the original. That included “Spring Breakers” star James Franco,

Netflix has shared the full-length trailer for filmmaker Kitty Green's Casting JonBenet, a sly and stylized exploration of the world's most sensational child-murder case. The still unsolved death of six-year-old American beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey has inspired years of media speculation and public fascination, and in Green's film, audiences are presented with a documentary hybrid examining the macabre legacy of this tiny starlet.

Over 15 months, the filmmakers traveled to the Ramseys' Colorado hometown to elicit responses, reflections and even performances from the local community. In doing so, Casting JonBenet examines how this crime and its resulting mythologies have shaped the attitudes and behavior of successive generations of parents and children.

The documentary revisits the unsolved murder of six-year-old beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, who was found dead in her Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996. The inventive hybrid documentary includes footage of some Boulder local actors (both professionals and non-pro), auditioning to play the roles of JonBenet, her mother Patsy, her father John and her brother Burke, as well as cinematic re-enactments of events that took place before and after the murder.

In their auditions, the Boulder locals are asked to offer their own take on the case, which leads to some canny commentary on how people consume news — especially

The documentary revisits the unsolved murder of six-year-old beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, who was found dead in her Boulder, Colorado, home on December 26, 1996. The hybrid documentary includes footage of some Boulder local actors (both professionals and non-pro), auditioning to play the roles of JonBenet, her mother Patsy, her father John and her brother Burke, as well as cinematic re-enactments of events that took place before and after the murder. In their audition, the Boulder locals are asked to offer their take on the case.

One of the only films we gave five-stars to at the Berlin Film Festival back in February was the brilliant Casting JonBenet, the docu-drama that examines the unsolved murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsay. Kitty Green directs this well-crafted feature, which hits the streaming service from April.

The film is a sly and stylized exploration of the world’s most sensational child-murder case, today. The still unsolved death of six-year-old American beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey has inspired years of media speculation and public fascination, and in Green’s film, audiences are presented with a documentary hybrid examining the macabre legacy of this tiny starlet.

Over 15 months, the filmmakers travelled to the Ramseys’ Colorado hometown to elicit responses, reflections and even performances from the local community. In doing so, Casting JonBenet examines how this crime and its resulting mythologies have shaped the attitudes and behaviour of successive generations of parents and children.

Fierce, committed and above all, tough — these are the words that collaborators use to describe producer Robin O’Hara, a longtime fixture of the New York independent film scene, who died suddenly last week after complications from cancer treatment.

When O’Hara’s business and life partner Scott Macaulay of Forensic Films posted the sad news on Facebook last Wednesday, hundreds of prominent filmmakers, former crewmembers, and friends from across the independent film world offered an outpouring of condolences, remembrances, and testimonies about O’Hara’s importance in nurturing their art and their careers.

As “Saving Face” director Alice Wu wrote, “She was brilliant and mercurial and hilarious and terrifying. She gave no fucks — unless she did give a fuck — and then she gave everything. Anyone who has been lucky enough to be in her orbit never lets go. She pushed us all … and we became better people.”

We said in our review, “Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and

Netflix announced today that it will release “Casting JonBenet,” Kitty Green’s innovative hybrid documentary inspired by the infamous murder of six-year-old pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, on April 28th. The film played the Sundance Film Festival in U.S. Documentary Competition this January to rave reviews, currently boasting a 100% fresh approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

20 years after the murder, Green stages a casting call for young actresses to play the late child beauty pageant queen, interviewing the fresh hopefuls and their parents about the murder and its relevance today. In the vein of “Kate Plays Christine,” another inventive documentary about an infamous death which recreates real life events, the film uses new methods to explore its subject.

Netflix announced today that it will release “Casting JonBenet,” Kitty Green’s innovative hybrid documentary inspired by the infamous murder of six-year-old pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey, on April 28. The film played the Sundance Film Festival in U.S. Documentary Competition this January to rave reviews, currently boasting a 100% fresh approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

20 years after the murder, Green stages a casting call for young actresses to play the late child beauty pageant queen, interviewing the fresh hopefuls and their parents about the murder and its relevance today. In the vein of “Kate Plays Christine,” another inventive documentary about an infamous death which recreates real life events, the film uses new methods to explore its subject.

Following his star turn in “Gold,” actor Matthew McConaughey will star in “The Dark Tower,” an adaptation of Stephen King’s acclaimed series of novels by the same name, but McConaughey already has another film in the pipeline. According to Variety, McConaughey will star in Harmony Korine’s new film “The Beach Bum.” Principal photography is set to begin this July.

The film follows the adventures of Moondog, “a rebellious and lovable rogue who lives life large,” according to a statement. Producer John Lesher says that, “Harmony has crafted the perfect movie for our dark and serious time — a refreshingly original, irreverent, and hilarious stoner comedy that only he could create.”

Korine first rose to fame writing Larry Clark’s “Kids,” a controversial independent film about a group of New York City teenagers. He later directed films like “Gummo,

While the feature films of Harmony Korine have caused plenty of provocation on their own (“Gummo,” “Trash Humpers,” “Spring Breakers,” etc.) his predilection for mischief, particularly early in his career, saw the creation of some projects that just never saw the light of day. Perhaps most infamous of them all is the unfinished “Fight Harm,” which featured magician David Blaine filming Korine as he got into real life fights with random strangers.

Continue reading Harmony Korine Got Thrown Out Of The Premiere Of His Johnny Depp-Starring ‘The Devil, The Sinner, And His Journey’ at The Playlist.

Netflix announced today that it has acquired worldwide rights to Kitty Green’s documentary “Casting JonBenet,” which will have its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festivalin the Us Documentary Competition, the first time a nonfiction work from the company will compete.

Read More: Weinstein Co. and National Enquirer Aim to Beat CBS with Their Own JonBenet Ramsey Docuseries

The film is a sly and stylized exploration of the world’s most sensational child-murder case, the still unsolved death of six-year-old American beauty queen, JonBenet Ramsey. Over 15 months, the filmmakers traveled to the Ramseys’ Colorado hometown to elicit responses, reflections and even performances from the local community. In doing so, Casting JonBenet examines how this crime and its resulting mythologies have shaped the attitudes and behavior of successive generations of parents and children.

On Tuesday, Americans go to the voting booth to determine what kind of country they want theirs to be. Months of the most polarized, and polarizing, presidential campaign in recent memory have left many of us with battle fatigue and gnawing pangs of cynicism and nausea. To quote Thomas McGuane, in the opening line of his 1973 novel “92 in the Shade”: “Nobody knows, from sea to shining sea, why we are having all this trouble with our republic.”

Our filmmakers might have a clue. And a little distance brings perspective. The American Film Festival just celebrated its seventh annual survey of new (and mostly) independent cinema made in the U.S.A., as assembled for and viewed by eager European audiences in Wroclaw, Poland. Though not without some escapist and experimental tangents, the selections couldn’t help but offer a provocative composite of work that serves as a kind of state of the union address.

In between working on his upcoming features, “The Trap,” with Benicio del Toro and Al Pacino, and “Tampa,” an adaptation of Alissa Nutting’s novel by the same name, Harmony Korine directed NBA Mvp Stephen Curry in a new Under Armour advertisement titled “Make That Old.”

Set to “Nobody Knows” by T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir, the spot features young fans commenting on the Golden State Warriors player about how he was criticized for being too small, living in his father’s shadow, then praising him for his achievements. Curry then enters a glowing neon pink court, dribbles, does some practice runs and continues to train.

The commercial, which has the Harmony-style dark, gritty, neon vibe, is meant to promote Curry’s newest shoe in his sneaker line. It’s also a way to show that he’s put the Warriors’ loss in the 2016 NBA Finals behind him.

Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and cannibals — might come as music to the ears of diehard fans of films like Spring Breakers and Gummo (a kid doesn’t quite eat spaghetti in a bathtub, but a kid does eat spaghetti after being in a bathtub). However, beneath its dazzlingly hip surface the script and characters leave much to be desired. It’s like taking a trip to Burning Man: a pseudo-spiritual, uniquely punky experience perhaps, but one that’s full of annoying rich kids and ultimately emotionally shallow.

The first thing you need to understand about the protagonist of Alissa Nutting’s wildly unsettling and wonderfully written 2013 novel “Tampa” is that she’s a monster. While Celeste Price — accurately described as “smoldering” in the book’s official synopsis — is physically stunning (and damn does she work for it), her emotional and psychological landscape is so diseased that whatever cinematic project springs forth from the material will likely look and feel more like a film about bloodthirsty vampires or Frankenstein’s creation or the abominable snowman or something similarly driven by lust and rage than any sort of dramatic offering about overcoming life’s harsh realities.

No one overcomes anything in “Tampa.” No one gets over anything.

“Tampa,” despite a premise that seems tailor-made to be turned into a prestige feature (perhaps in the vein of “Precious”?) or at least a Lifetime-ready movie of the week (think “Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?

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